I was devastated. A teenager that I am, it hardly takes much to pull me into an emotional frenzy, anyways. The culprit was a teeny little zit that had appeared on my nose, right at the pointed edge. I ran to the mirror and frowned at it for several minutes, examining it from all possible sides, figuring out angles which flashed less of the red bump. Oh how I wish staring at it long enough and scowling could make it disappear. That however, didn’t happen. So, I frantically searched my make-up box for anything, absolutely anything that could at the least cover it up maybe. I was told acne is a perfectly normal part of the adolescent age and that inner beauty mattered the most than what appears on the outside; but trust me all such words of wisdom (which are all true, by the way) were the last thing I wanted to hear at that moment. I guess this is something which almost all of us have been through or are currently stuck up in.

The skin is the largest organ of the body. One of the skin's primary function is to abolish a portion of the toxic and metabolic waste products present in the body through sweat. If the body accumulates more toxins than the liver and kidney can effectively expel, the skin plays its part. Thus as the excessive amount of toxins escape through the skin, the skin’s normal pH is distorted which causes plethora of skin related disorders, acne being one of them. Abolishing intake of caffeine, snack foods, fried foods, fast foods, processed foods, hydrogenated oils, margarine, table salt and vegetable oils, all forms of sugar and animal protein is a way to efficiently lessen ingesting toxins that will percolate through the skin. Additionally, one should also increase their water consumption as it assists the kidneys and liver to do their jobs of detoxification more efficiently.The skin breathes too. Oils, grime, dust and pollutants can block the skin’s pores and aggravate existing pimple problems. Therefore, it is also advised to keep your skin clean and wash your face gently at regular intervals. However, excessive scrubbing or washing can make pimples worse by activating the body's sebaceous glands, which leads to excessive sebum production.

Also, avoid squeezing and popping the pimples at all cost! As inviting as it may seem, the damage to the skin can be severe, leaving you with long-lasting marks or scars or even risks of infection.

Dealing with acne can come across as a pretty turbulent phase. You might lose self confidence, accomplishing a perfect click may appear almost impossible, the mirror may start to seem like more of a foe than friend and a lot more nightmares follow. However, do not let it take control of your personal life. Remember, however cliche as it may sound, beauty is defined not by one’s face, but soul. The outer beauty sure attracts, but it is the inner beauty that captivates.

NOTE : This post has been written for a contest by Garnier Pure Active Neem Face Wash in association with Indiblogger.